Slight Emergency in Italy--HELP!
 

Hi all, So got to Florence, has been a crazy 5 days and just realized in the unpacking that I forgot one of my prescriptions at my friends house where I was staying in NYC the night before I left. I run out in 5 days and it's neurontin so I just can't stop taking it. Anyone know the best way to get it here in a hurry. My name is not onthe address of temporary apt.until end Aug. when I move into a longer term place. Is fedex or UPS better option or DHL and can my meds be sent here in the bottle with my name on it.PLEASE HELP! BTW full report on the move when I get settled more. Thanks Caio :)

My sister did this once-she found a near-by pharmacy and then called her doctor. He then called the pharmacy with a prescription. Be sure that some one speaks English at the pharmacy.

Can you call your doctor and get a new prescription faxed/emailed to be filled in Florence? This might be the best.

I'm not sure how things work in Italy but when I rented an apt in Paris my mail never arrived since the sender didn't have the name of the owner. Even if the owners name was on the envelope I couldn't have accessed it since the mailboxes were locked. Please investigate this if you decide to Fed Ex.

In the "olden days" people used to be able to have things sent to them via the local American Express office, which may be an option for you to have a secure location for receiving a package. I also just remembered that American Express CCs used to advertise emergency prescription replacement as one of their benefits.....Just some thoughts...

Go to the drug store, farmacia, and ask for the drug. Italy does not work like US - you do need doctor visit or a written prescription. For many prescriptions, you go to farmacia and talk to Pharmacist. He/she will most likely help you and you will pay almost zero.

Salute.

OK so already went thru asking for the drug and bringing pills I had left they said no. Asked if I could have an american doc call it in they said no. Half the pharmacies are closed for August vacation.

laartista,

I wish I could say that dedicated private delivery services are faster and better than the Italian post, but they are not.

The first thing I would do is go to the hospital and ask to speak with a doctor. I realize you already got one answer, but in Italia, I generally find that asking more than one person produces the needed response. If you don't have an empty prescription bottle to take with you, print out the name from the internet.

Second, I would ask your friend in the US to call your doctor and get another bottle. She should send one bottle regular mail and one bottle DHL.

Your address? Find somebody in Firenze who is open for the rest of august who will receive the package for you. Could be the grocery store down the street.

Good luck!

Simply walk into the nearest hospital and explain your problem. In English if you don't speak Italian.

That's absolutely all you need to do. Don't faff about getting things sent from abroad: just go straight to the hospital now.

I think flanner is right that the hospital visit will produce the right result. Personally, I believe in overkill, so I just want to add that I just had a package sent to me from the US regular mail and it arrived in 6 days, so I think you won't have trouble if it's sent regular mail -- but in Italy, one never knows.

But start talking with doctors. I would head for the door marked "pronto soccorso" (emergency) at the hospital.

In Italy some drugs that are Rx in the US you can get at a pharmacy without an Rx.

neurontin is not one.

go to a hospital and explain - they will either dispense or give you an Rx.

I've had this happen in a foreign country. I called my pharmacy at home and they faxed the prescription they had to the other pharmacy. They didn't take phone calls, but would accept a fax. The hospital idea is a good one also. I've been to the American Hospital in Rome. It's a long taxi ride from the city center, but it was worth it for me. I got to see an English-speaking doctor and got what I needed in less than 30 minutes.

Laartista - My BF and I had just gotten to Florence on our trip two years ago when he realized he had forgotten to pack one of his heart medications. We stumbled upon a sign in one of the farmacias for an English-speaking doctor next door. http://www.dr-kerr.com/index.
He was quite wonderful (and may I say extremely nice on the eyes as well!) and just 20 euros for the office visit. I highly recommend him. And it turned out that the same dosage of the medication bought in Italy was a fraction of what it costs in the US - we ended up buying two refills which were good for nine months worth of pills.
Get yourself to Dr. Kerr (his office is a few blocks from the Duomo), he'll take care of you with a prescription of the medication in Italian.

Holy cow! Is this a great site, or what? I can't believe a poster actually found an American doctor in Florence and got on this site the same day as it was requested!

Wonderful! Llartista, I hope it all works out for you.

Thank you e1. Hazel Dr. Kerr like the rest of Italy is on vacation. I sent an email anyway so thanks so much for the info. Good to know since I'll be here for a while. Will also have my doc fax to a pharmacy tomorrow and stop by the hospital to cover all bases. Thanks again e1.

Go to the American Consulate and ask them for a list of doctors.

Andrea - I thought you were moving to Barcelona. Are you moving to Florence instead?

Hi Ky,

Yep changed plans about 7 weeks ago, so yes, am in Florence. It's been crazy which is why I probably left meds at home. Got here on Thurs. and just realised yesterday when I went to refill pill bag. But the good news is last night picked up my messages from NY # and I am officially a dual citizen of EU my Hungarian passport is ready for pick up! Whoo Hoo!

The website of Dr. Kerr syas the following:

"The doc is on leave until Mon 1st September 2008 .

For issues that cannot wait until then, there are other English-speaking docs at the clinic. 10.00 to 1800 - just drop in between these times."

So I would just stop by between 10-18.00.

My best guess would be to get a Italian prescription from a doctor or hospital.

Good luck.

Some pharmacies here in the Netherlands (of no help when you are in Italy...but maybe the system works the same)will give you in case of emergencys a few days worth of pills (just enough to get you over the weekend for example), if you have got the bottle/package with your name etc on it. Worth a try in Italy too?

This really is a request for information. Honest.

The poster is in a large, sophisticated city, with a public health service second to practically none except France and at least a dozen hospitals. She knows what's wrong with her, and the medicine she needs.

Why in the name of all that's half sane would anyone in her position want to waste time and energy trying to find a foreign doctor? Weirder still, one who, once found, will CHARGE her for the privilege of doing what each of those hospitals will do for free? Or why would anyone put friends through the hassle of filling in Customs declarations to courier medicine from a country where the stuff probably costs five times what it costs in Italy? Possibly infinitely more, since the hospital may not bother charging for the medicine either.

This isn't meant to turn into a medical provision debate. I'm just flabbergasted people are so determined to find a complicated and costly solution to a dead easy problem 400 million of us solve the easy (and often free) way whenever we cross a border without our medicines.

flanneruk, I know that it is very easy for me to access medical services anywhere in the EU because we citizens of EU states have reciprocal arrangements. When I travel within the EU I carry my EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) which I can present at hospitals or clinics if I need assistance.

People from outside the EU might not get the same privileges, but nevertheless they will have access to good health provision almost anywhere in Europe and, even if they have to pay, it is not prohibitively expensive for minor or simple conditions.

On the other hand, I would be very concerned if I needed health care in the US and I did not have insurance to cover it -- that is, concerned about my pocket as well as about my health.

I suspect that many Americans are conditioned by their knowledge of the US system, and suppose that European systems are similarly organised. I gather that some American health insurers cover people when they travel, and that others do not.